


I’ll be your teacher, I’ll show you the ropes

by stellations



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-12 21:34:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5681650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellations/pseuds/stellations
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Set during the five years they searched for Tut’s tomb.<br/>Title from "In My Head" by Jason Derulo</p>
    </blockquote>





	I’ll be your teacher, I’ll show you the ropes

**Author's Note:**

> Set during the five years they searched for Tut’s tomb.  
> Title from "In My Head" by Jason Derulo

“It must be around here somewhere.”

Helen’s frustrated voice floated back to him from around the corner of the labyrinth far below the Egyptian sands. Nikola paused for half a minute, simply taking in the sound of it, the exact way her tone rose and fell with each word. Such as he had done for the entire time they had spent down here. These were stolen moments, ones he would never allow her to see; yet he treasured everyone last one of them. Remaining in such close proximity to her was as terrible as it was tantalizing. She was so close, but she would forever remain out of his reach. 

Oddly enough, he was all right with that. For now. 

She’d come down here with him years ago because she needed time away from James and his post-war issues. Her excuse was that she wanted to see if the rumors of Abnormals in Egypt were true, but Nikola knew. Oh he knew. 

Her secret was safe with him, as was her voice. And her smell. He would never forget any of that, forever holding the memories close. Soon enough she would return to England and he knew she would go back to being James’ lover, the one to keep his bed warm at night. Nikola would continue pining for her from afar. His only consolation was that she seemed happy and as long as she was happy… well, he could deal with his own feelings. She would never know how he felt. 

And that was as it should be.

“Nikola?”

Somehow, as he was drowning in his own thoughts, she’d snuck up on him, her voice startling him out of it. He turned to face her, his expression calmly surprised, as though she had only caught him pondering the shape of the rocks around them. 

“Are you certain none of your little abnormals are down here?” he asked, as though he hadn’t just been imagining whisking her off after this. 

She gave him a look, as he had known she would, and secretly loved it. The look was for him alone, something she never gave James and certainly never had given dear old Johnny. “They aren’t _my_ Abnormals, Nikola, and I don’t know if they are here or not. It isn’t as though I’ve actually been here previously, after all. I’m hardly the one who can disappear and reappear at will.”

Nikola scowled at the mention of Druitt and turned back towards the wall, somehow managing to keep the distaste out of his voice when he answered her. “You’re the expert.” The slight deepening of his accent was the only thing that gave him away.

She didn’t reply, something he was thankful for. The last thing he needed was for her to comment further on Johnny and bring up that old loss. They were here to enjoy the hunt. And quite possibly each other’s company. Druitt and Watson could stay in their little boxes for a while longer. Let Nikola have his moment with Helen.

A moment that was quickly spanning years, but who was counting? He was, of course.

She brushed past him and he paused for a moment to watch her. The light bounced off her lovely blonde locks in a way that no one else could ever hope to replicate and, selfishly, he hoped no one ever would. Her dress was pulled upwards, pinned at the sides, and she’d even allowed a little leg to show. He worshipped that leg, as much as he worshipped the woman it belonged to. 

“Oh, I do wish I knew which direction we should take.”

Nikola blinked, her voice once again snapping him out of his thoughts. Striding purposefully forward, he stopped next to her, examining the paths they had to choose from. He knew what she was doing and she likely knew he knew, but that didn’t matter. She was giving him the chance to change the subject and the focus of their conversation.

“Can’t figure it out, my dear?” he inquired thoughtfully. 

“Sadly, no,” she answered, the frown on her face one of frustration he knew was entirely a façade. 

“And here I was thinking you were the brightest student Oxford has ever turned out.” He tsked at her, shaking his head and letting his accent out fully. “What a disappointment.”

“I must apologize for getting your hopes up, Dr. Tesla,” she replied, her own accent thickening, even as she smiled teasingly at him. 

He loved that smile. He hoped she never lost it.

“Indeed. Well, perhaps I might suggest that one?” 

He pointed ahead of them, listing off several reasons why it was the better path even as he leaned closer to her. For a moment, they were merely inches apart. One wrong move by either of them and they might be tasting more than just the age-old dust beneath their feet. Her eyes flicked from his eyes down and quickly away again and the moment passed. Starting down the path ahead of her, he motioned over his shoulder for her to follow.

“Come, my wayward student. We must not let one small mishap stop us.”

“Of course, Professor,” she murmured and by the sound of her footfalls, he knew when she’d joined him. 

They walked in silence, broken only by the sound of their footsteps and their breathing. He rather liked that. This trip was for them alone, something that barely needed words. This was their present, the only time they would have together, and he wanted to treasure it without reminders of things and people she cared for more than she did him. For now, all that mattered was the two of them and this quest they were on. They could worry about other things once they resurfaced.

Now, Nikola simply listened to her breathing next to him and tried not to drown in her scent.


End file.
